Post by kaitokatashi on Apr 28, 2008 20:37:41 GMT -6
The gold pieces clinked together as Xin Fu counted them into three piles of varying sizes. Those salivating dogs that populated the audience would probably pay every coin they had to see the Earth Rumble; after all, it had earned Kingdom-wide fame from Kyoshi to Ba Sing Se. With the fame came the gold. It hadn't paid off until Earth Rumble 3, when a contestant almost died in combat. He'd had to revise the rules, but that sparked a trend that was burning out of control...
...and he was more than happy to take advantage of it. Truth be told, he held his Rumblers in the same category as the audience members; puppets to be drained dry of gold and then cast aside. Still, the Earthbender had more than enough "skilled" fighters to draw a crowd to Rumble after Rumble after Rumble. His dark, chiseled features lit up with a perverse malice as he thought of how none of them knew that he was simply using them for money. Still, some of the fighters were as dumb as they were unskilled, so it wasn't hard to dupe them. Keep them happy, pay them well, and they would eat out of the palm of your hand. That's how it went.
Still, it wasn't like this was the first time he'd manipulated people. For the last 38 years he'd been alive, he saw the people around him as mere tools that he could use to get what he wanted. As he grew, he got more and more skilled at it until finally, his efforts culminated in the Earth Rumble.
He tucked a strand of raven hair behind his ear as the handsome features of his face became slightly contorted with worry. Ever since Toph had run off and joined the Hunt for the Avatar, he'd lost a small following. Still, there had been more than enough people to fill their places, and that was fine by him. She had been a thorn in his side, more independent and headstrong towards him than the other Rumblers. Oh well, her loss. He found the whole "war" fuss to be rather unimportant and he would continue to until the Fire Nation decided to invade Gaoling. When that day came, he'd be more than ready for them.
The gold continued to clink as he sorted it, then moreso as he put it into ornate bags. He sorely wished that he had more time to shop, but he was working on holding another Earth Rumble. It was a pity, really, to pass on all those well-made clothes, bags, bracelets...perhaps that was his one and only weakness. He was drawn to the finer things in life, and he would willingly crush someone with a boulder if it meant achieving fabulous wealth. After all, that's why Earth Rumble had been made.
He sighed as he drew the bags closed, getting out of his chair and heading for the door. If there was going to be another Rumble, he'd need to get the word out. Even that wouldn't be hard work, considering how anxious people were to see another one. It had been far too long, and a gold harvest was far overdue...
...and he was more than happy to take advantage of it. Truth be told, he held his Rumblers in the same category as the audience members; puppets to be drained dry of gold and then cast aside. Still, the Earthbender had more than enough "skilled" fighters to draw a crowd to Rumble after Rumble after Rumble. His dark, chiseled features lit up with a perverse malice as he thought of how none of them knew that he was simply using them for money. Still, some of the fighters were as dumb as they were unskilled, so it wasn't hard to dupe them. Keep them happy, pay them well, and they would eat out of the palm of your hand. That's how it went.
Still, it wasn't like this was the first time he'd manipulated people. For the last 38 years he'd been alive, he saw the people around him as mere tools that he could use to get what he wanted. As he grew, he got more and more skilled at it until finally, his efforts culminated in the Earth Rumble.
He tucked a strand of raven hair behind his ear as the handsome features of his face became slightly contorted with worry. Ever since Toph had run off and joined the Hunt for the Avatar, he'd lost a small following. Still, there had been more than enough people to fill their places, and that was fine by him. She had been a thorn in his side, more independent and headstrong towards him than the other Rumblers. Oh well, her loss. He found the whole "war" fuss to be rather unimportant and he would continue to until the Fire Nation decided to invade Gaoling. When that day came, he'd be more than ready for them.
The gold continued to clink as he sorted it, then moreso as he put it into ornate bags. He sorely wished that he had more time to shop, but he was working on holding another Earth Rumble. It was a pity, really, to pass on all those well-made clothes, bags, bracelets...perhaps that was his one and only weakness. He was drawn to the finer things in life, and he would willingly crush someone with a boulder if it meant achieving fabulous wealth. After all, that's why Earth Rumble had been made.
He sighed as he drew the bags closed, getting out of his chair and heading for the door. If there was going to be another Rumble, he'd need to get the word out. Even that wouldn't be hard work, considering how anxious people were to see another one. It had been far too long, and a gold harvest was far overdue...
